The issue here is that the industry has come to 2013, with the ASRR [Aviation Safety Regulatory Review]

One that must move to a firm change to regulations that takes Australia to a proper focus and the removal of the current mish-mash of regulations to one that is focussed on the NZ regs or the US FAA style regs.

Both of which meet the requirements for a new direction for the industry, without the issues that have been problematic for us over a long period, where the regulator takes improper and reactive strikes at the industry.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Transport, Communications and Infrastructure produced the Plane Safe Inquiry into Aviation Safety: the Commuter and General Aviation Sectors report that concentrated on the regulation of a competitive aviation industry by an organisation in conflict, CASA. It said that a combination of poor management and internal battles were counter-productive to aviation safety over the period since 1988.

The report contained an extensive set of recommendations pertaining to the operation of CASA and the need for promulgated safety statistics.

The Government Response of 5 December 1996 largely agreed with the recommendations and noted work on aviation safety indicators and the creation of an independent advisory panel to review regulations.

On the whole, it would seem that the recommendations were implemented, in terms of subsequent reports issued by CASA, the Program Advisory Panel (Kimpton inquiry) and other agencies, as detailed below.

Note that a change of government and ministers occurred on 11 March 1996.

The “reactive” nature of CASA to the industry is shown with the following: